Premier Guns That Are as Fun to Own as to Shoot

Here’s a look at five premier guns that stand apart from the crowd in quality, craftsmanship, and performance:

If you’re ever in the pleasant hamlet of Saint Bonnet Le Chateau, France, you might not know that it’s the home of Manurhin Firearms, makers of one of the finest revolvers on the planet, the MR73. Long the weapon of choice for French SWAT teams, these revolvers are designed to fire 150+ rounds of full-power ammo a day, every day, forever. Each one requires in excess of 12 hours of hand-fitting at the factory and is shipped match grade accurate. To give you an idea of just how well-made these weapons are, they’re test-fired at the factory with special .357 magnum rounds that create 30% greater pressure than the maximum allowed for legal cartridges. That means that the cylinders are guaranteed to withstand 46.4 tons of pressure per square inch, with no trace of stress. Vive la France!

Would you buy a shotgun that costs as much as a good quality used car? You might, if it was the Dea Round Body from Italian gun maker, Fausti. This is one of the prettiest weapons ever built, with laser-engraved English scrollwork, a stock crafted from fine European walnut, and the Fausti crest inlaid in gold on the receiver’s underside, but don’t think it’s all looks. NRA staff members took one out for a day and found it to be a delight to carry, as well as shoot, with superb workmanship and flawless functioning. “Dea” means “goddess” in Italian, and a weapon this well-made may indeed be worthy of worship, and at $6,000.00, it’s practically a steal compared to others Fausti models that can cost $50,000.00+.

What premier guns are more all-American than the .45 ACP? This iconic symbol of US military might has been copied by many manufacturers, sometimes with less than spectacular results. However, then there’s the Kimber Eclipse, winner of the 2002 Firearms Industry Award of Excellence. This beauty comes in two sizes, each made from top-quality stainless steel to excruciatingly fine tolerances at the Kimber facility in Yonkers, NY. The flats of the weapon are a luxurious brushed silver satin, while the rounds are a deep charcoal gray that comes as close as any shade can to being black without getting there. The Pro Series edition has a bull barrel that shooters say helps to tame the 1911’s infamous muzzle jump tendencies. It loads reliably, even when firing sometimes troublesome ammo like the 200 grain CCI wide-mouth hollow points. This is a .45 that you can count on in the toughest situations – if you can stop admiring its looks long enough to actually shoot it.

If I ever end up stuck in the wilderness facing a monstrous bear, I hope I’ll have the good fortune of having a Weatherby Mark V Deluxe built for the .378 case by my side. Sure, with a 2+1 capacity it’s not designed for spray-and-pray, but with a rifle as powerful and accurate as this, repeat shots are unlikely to ever be needed. The company guarantees 1.5 inch or smaller three shot groups at a hundred yards, and with a Clara walnut stock and rosewood forearm tip and grip cap, it’ll look mighty fine mounted on your gun rack.

Derringers have a reputation for being cheap, pea shooter-type guns used purely as a last resort. However, tell that to the folks at Bond Arms in Granbury, TX, and you might regret it. The Single Action Shooting Society honored their highly concealable double-barreled mini-cannons with world champion status 11 times. Their Bond Ranger has 4.25 inch interchangeable barrels, comes in 13 different calibers, and, like all Bond products, is built Texas tough out of top-quality components. These little guns pack a big punch.

You can always expect Dury’s Gun Shop to have a great selection of high-quality, premier guns for you to choose from, no matter what your taste or budget dictates. We back everything we sell with our famous lifetime warranty, so you can be assured you’re getting a safe, reliable weapon you can count on for hunting, target practice, or personal/home defense. Browse our site today and contact us with any questions you might have.